Stove



l M'gxlfchZ 1939. CHAMBERS STOVE Filed sept) 2o 1937 y y INV ENT OR.

]H/y Chg/75555,

ATTORNEYS,

Patented Mar. 7, 1939 g' PATENT OFFICE 'f A s'rovs A, John E. Chambers, Shelbyville, Ind.

' Application september 20.1937, serial No. 164,675

top for lthe purpose of maintaininga constant predetermined temperature in a vessel disposed yabove such burner'. More specifically, .it is my object to4 attach permanently to a gas range a temperature-responsive element which can readilybe moved into avessel disposed on the,cook

ingv topand which can, when desired, be withdrawn from such vessel when it isdesired'to revmove thevessel from the cooking top. Another object ofvmy invention is to provide a tempera.-

g ture-responsive element which, while readily insertable into any vessel disposed above its asso-l criated burner, can vbe moved to an inoperative position whenr not desired, so that it will not interfere with free use of its associated burner.`

In carrying out my'invention I mount above trolled a'pivoted carrier which bears the temperature-responsivev element of the automatic controlling mechanism. The axis of pivotal mounting of this carrier is disposed at a considerable distance above the cooking top, so that when thev carrier is swung into a horizontal position extending outwardly from its axis of pivotal mounting the distance between it and thev cooking top will bevconsiderably greater than the height of the largest vessel or'utensll ordinarily associated with the range. The carrier is made long enough so that whenswung downwardlyl from its raised positionfinto a vessel placed on the associated burnerlthe temperature-respon-v 'sive element will be disposed nearthe bottom of suchvessel. The temperature-responsive element which I prefer to use is` in the form of a bulby containing an -expansible iiuid and connected through asmall-diameter tube of flexible material to a pressure-,responsive element controlling the valve which regulates the supply of gas tothe associatedburner. In order to avoid excessive iiexing of this tube when the carrier is moved from one' position to another, the tube may be formed into a helical coil concentric with the axis of carrier movement, and such coil may -be looselysupported lby a spool-like element disi posed within it.

The accompanying drawing illustrates my invention: Fig. l is an end elevation of a portion of a gas range showing'a vessel disposed on the y cooking top and the temperature-responsive element'located in such-vessel, some ofthe parts shown being broken away to appear in-crosssection;` Fig; 2 is a front elevation of the con- (ci. 23a-az) y struction illustrated in Fig. l, again with parts broken away and shown in section; and Fig. 3 is a fragmental plan view of the vessel showing the temperature-responsive element in place therein. K

In the drawing, the gas range is shown as embodylng a cooking top II having a vessel-supporting grid I2 disposed above a burner I3. Desirably, any burner with which my invention is associated is disposed at the rear of the cooking top adjacent the conventional back-splasher I 4, which may then be employed as a support for the automatic regulating mechanism.

The automatic regulating mechanism I5 illustrated in the drawing is of a conventional type. It embodies a main valve I8 controlling the supplyof gas from a supply line I1 and having a control handle I8. A pressure-responsive valve, responsive to pressure in a control line 20 and adjustable by a knob 2I, regulates the supply of gas to a conduit 22 extending to the burner I8. Details of the automatic gas-regulating valve are not illustrated, as such devices are well known and the details may vary without departure from my invention.v

In embodying my invention ina. stove of the `type illustrated in the drawing, the automatic I regulating mechanism I5 is mounted on the back splasher I3 at a considerable distance above the cooking top II and with the control elements I8 and 2| disposedon the front face of the back spIaSher. Beneath the automatic regulating mechanism, I attach to the i'ront face of the back splasher a U-shaped bracket 25 the two legs of which support a horizontal pivot bolt 26 which provides'av pivotal mounting for a carrier 21. The bottom portion 28 of the carrier 2'I is desirably tubular and has its lower end closed as indicated in the drawing. Above the tubular portion, the carrier is provided with two parallel ears 29 which overlap the parallel legs of the U-shaped bracket 25 and receive the pivot bolt 26.

The temperature-responsive element which, as indicated above, is desirably a huid-containing bulb 3|, is disposed within the tubular portion 28 of the carrier 21 and has connected to it a small diameter tube 32 of flexible material. Desirably, the upper end of the tubular portion 28 of the carrier is provided with a stopper 33 having a central hole through which the tube 32 passes. Above the stopper I8, the tube 82 is formed into a helical coil about the axis of the pivot bolt 28, such coil desirably having several turns and being supported by a spool 34 heldin place in the brack- 55 v,nlating mechanism I5.

In order that the carrier 21 may remain in any position of adjustment to which it has been moved,

I prefer to associate with it a friction-brake means yieldingly opposing its rotation about the axis of the bolt 26. For this purpose, the bolt 26 extends outwardly at each end beyond the adjacent ear 29 of the carrier 21 and is there provided with a cup-like housing 36 enclosing a compression spring 31 which bears against the adjacent ear 29 and forces it into frictional contact with the adjacent leg of the U-shaped-bracket 25. y

' In the drawing, the carrier 21 is shown as disposed in its operative position, wherefit extends vertically downward into a vessel 40 supported on the grid I2 above the burner I3. If desired, there may be provided for the vessel 40 a lid 4I havingin its edge a cut-away portion 42 providing a notch through which the tubular portion 28 of the carrier extends. As indicated above, the carrier is of such a length as to extend nearly tothe bottom of the vessel 40. Changes in pressure `created in the bulb 3l as a result of changes in temperature of the contents of the vessel 4'0 will be transmitted through the tube 32 to the automatic regulating mechanism I5 and will serve to effectthe desired control of the quantity of gas supplied to the burner I3 through the conduit 22. When it is desired to remove the vessel 40, the lid 4I, if in place, is Withdrawn'and the carrier 21 swung about the axis of the bolt 26 to the dotted-line position indicated in Fig. 1. In this position, the carrier is well above the top of the vessel 40 which can then readily be removed. Because of the formation of the tube 32 into a helical coil, any unit displacement thereof created by swinging movement of the carrier 21 is relatively slight, and the tube sustains no injury= I claim as my invention:

' 1. In a gas range having a cooking top and a burner located therebelow, a back splasher projecting upwardly from said cooking topadjacent said burner, a member pivotally attached to said back splasher on a horizontal axis above said burner, pressure-responsive means for controlling the supply of fuel to said burner, a. fluidcontaining bulb mounted on said member near the free end thereof, and a tube of flexible material connecting said bulb with said pressureresponsive means, said tube includinga portion formed into a helical coil coaxial with the pivotal mounting of said member. s

2. The invention set forth in claim 1 with the addition of means disposed within the helically coiled portion of said tube for supporting it.

8. The invention set forth in claim 1 with the addition of friction-brake means for yieldingly holding said member in any position throughout its range of movement about its axis of pivotal mounting.

JOHN E. CHAMBERS. 

